KID's Sci-Tech Blog

Who invented Penicillin? Alexander Fleming invented Penicillin in 1928 and took 17 years to utilize

Who invented Penicillin? Alexander Fleming invented Penicillin in 1928 and took 17 years to utilize

Alexander Fleming lost his father when he is very young. His studies were stopped because of financial problems. Alexander started his studies again at the age of 20 years and became a scientist. He is the savior of many lives as he invented a medicine which cures life taking diseases.

‘Penicillin’ is a great invention in thousand years and a life saving drug. Penicillin was the first antibiotic and it was discovered by Alexander Fleming. Penicillin was discovered by chance. Penicillin protects humans from deadly diseases like Tuberculosis, Pneumonia and Typhoid. Alexander Fleming was given the Nobel Prize for the invention of Penicillin.

Alexander Fleming was born in Scotland on August 6th, 1881 in a farmer’s family as a last child of eight children. He lost his father when he was just 6. His mother was working on the field and he was studying in a nearby school. And he joined high school at London where his brother was staying. His studies were stopped because of financial problems and had to join as a clerk in a shipping company. At the age of 20, he entered St.Mary’s Medical School. He was a champion in rifle shooting, swimming and water polo. He began research after obtaining graduation.

During the First World War he led a team of doctors to treat the soldiers. There Alexander observed that the wounds of soldiers got infected due to bacteria and killed many of them. After the war he did research on bacteria. As a part of the research, he was working with Staphylo cocci bacteria. One day he did a mistake of placing the container in which the bacteria are present on a table and left it there over night. Next day Alexander observed that fungus in blue colour was formed in the container due to the outside atmosphere. And the bacteria under this fungus were destroyed. He understood that there is some matter in the fungus which kills bacteria. Fleming did research on that matter and could separate a small brush like substance. Penicillium in Latin means small brush and so he gave the name Penicillin to that substance. Penicillin was invented in 1928 but took 17 years to bring into utilization. With this the era of antibiotics has began.